Side Orders • December 6, 2018

Carla Tracy

Dining Editor

carlatracy@mauinews.com

Alvin Savella, voted this year’s Best Chef on Maui by a local magazine and formerly with The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, just snagged the chef de cuisine job at Grand Wailea’s Humuhumu restaurant. The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo

CLIMBING THE LADDER . . . TripAdvisor recently recognized the Best Restaurants in the U.S. with its 2018 Travelers Choice Awards, and two from Maui made the top 25 in the Best Fine Dining category — Mama’s Fish House and Lahaina Grill. Congrats!

Chefspencil.com has released a study on wage trends, and the average chef salary is 87.7 percent higher than that of the average cook. Hawaii, New Jersey and Washington D.C. are the top-paying states and district. Kansas, South Carolina and Idaho are the worst. Kahului, Wailuku, Lahaina, San Rafael, Calif., and Nassau County, N.Y. are the top-paying U.S. metro areas for chefs. Charleston, S.C., and Memphis, Tenn. are the lowest.

Formerly with Hali’imaile General Store as its executive chef, Marc McDowell just jumped ship to open a restaurant with West Maui Chef/restaurateur Joey Macadangdang, who owns Joey’s Kitchens in both Kaanapali and Napili. The restaurant, Maca Dang Dang, will open soon in the former Sangrita’s at Fairway Shops in Kaanapali.

“We want to open the sooner the better, but we will do it right and are applying for a liquor license first,” McDowell says. “The plan is to have wine pairings and sake, a sushi menu, and Filipino and local favorites, many with a twist. Helping out as executive sous chef will be Sam Doughty, also formerly with HGS.

“I create a lot of French-fusion sauces and preparations,” adds McDowell. “Joey’s sinigang, a Filipino stew, will have my lobster broth with coconut, tamarind, kaffir limes and seafood such as clams or lobster.”

Former chef de cuisine Alvin Savella of The Banyan Tree at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua is now impressing at Grand Wailea’s Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. And since the Grand’s former exec sous chef Jorge Gonzalez moved to Texas to work for superstar Dean Fearing, in his place is Mike Lofaro of Humu, who climbed the culinary ladder to be the new exec sous of the hotel.

The Grand hosted a Kosta Browne dinner Friday with winemaker Nico Cueva. Lofaro announced that Cueva will return July 19 to 21 for Fire it Up!, the resort’s annual live barbecue event with pit masters and other top chefs. He also said Hubert Keller of Fleur in Las Vegas will return for Fire it Up! (I wrote a story in Sunday’s paper that featured Keller, but had not been informed of his upcoming appearance at the Grand as of press time.)

David Viviano, who was the executive chef at Montage Kapalua Bay awhile back, now is top dog at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island, overseeing the award-winning Brown’s Beach House, as well as the launch of Fairmont’s upcoming Binchotan Bar & Grill.

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ON THE HORIZON . . . The Sentry Tournament of Champions will tee off Jan. 2 through 6 at the Plantation Course in Kapalua. It will be fun and tasty for spectators with food trucks on-site, a shave ice booth and Pro-Am food by Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar and Alchemy Maui. And there will be a partnership with Corkcicle for branded cups filled with signature Grey Goose cocktails at the 19th hole Grey Goose Bar.

“Additionally, we will be launching Aloha Friday at the tournament,” says Sentry Executive Director Nancy Cross. “Fans will be encouraged to wear their best aloha attire, and we will have prizes. We are now working with players and clothing manufacturers on attire as well. For tickets, visit www.sentrytournamentofchampions.com.”